The Australian Curriculum achievement standards are an expectation of the depth of understanding, the extent of knowledge and the sophistication of skills that students should typically demonstrate at the end of a teaching and learning year. In Queensland, the Year 6 Australian Curriculum achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 6 Australian Curriculum: English achievement standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 6, students understand how the use of text structures can achieve particular effects. They analyse and explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used by different authors to represent ideas, characters and events.
Students compare and analyse information in different texts, explaining literal and implied meaning. They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to it. They listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others’ ideas.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students understand how language features and language patterns can be used for emphasis. They show how specific details can be used to support a point of view. They explain how their choices of language features and images are used.
Students create detailed texts elaborating on key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using a variety of strategies for effect. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, make considered choices from an expanding vocabulary, use accurate spelling and punctuation for clarity and make and explain editorial choices.
Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum v6.0 English for Foundation
–10
, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10
The standards elaborations (SEs) should be used in conjunction with the Australian Curriculum achievement standard and content descriptions for the relevant year level. They provide additional clarity about using the Australian Curriculum achievement standard to make judgments on a five-point scale.
The SEs for English have been developed using the Australian Curriculum content descriptions and the achievement standard.
They promote and support:

aligning curriculum, assessment and reporting, connecting curriculum and evidence in assessment, so that what is assessed relates directly to what students have had the opportunity to learn

continuing skill development from one year of schooling to another

making judgments on a five-point scale based on evidence of learning in a folio of student work

planning an assessment program and individual assessments

developing task-specific standards and grading guides.

A B
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
C D
Considered analysis of information in texts to explain literal and implied meaning
Effective analysis of information in texts to explain literal and implied meaning
Analysis of information in texts to explain literal and implied meaning
Identification of literal meaning in texts
E
Restatement of information from texts
Considered explanation, supported by evidence, of different viewpoints on characters, events, settings and ideas in a variety of texts
Effective explanation, supported by evidence, of different viewpoints on characters, events, settings and ideas in a variety of texts
Explanation, supported by evidence, of different viewpoints on characters, events, settings and ideas in a variety of texts
Identification of different viewpoints on characters, events, settings and ideas in a variety of texts
Identification of characters, events, settings and ideas in a variety of texts
Considered explanation of how text structures are used to achieve particular effects
Effective explanation of how text structures are used to achieve particular effects
Explanation of how text structures are used to achieve particular effects
Description of aspects of text structures and effects
Identification of aspects of text structures
Considered analysis and explanation of how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent ideas, characters and events
Effective analysis and explanation of how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent ideas, characters and events
Analysis and explanation of how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent ideas, characters and events
Description of language features, images and vocabulary used for different purposes
Identification of language features, images and vocabulary
Year 6 standard elaborations
— Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 2 of 6

A B C D E
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
Considered selection and use of ideas and information for different purposes, including to support a point of view and explain choices of language features and images
Effective selection and use of ideas and information for different purposes, including to support a point of view and explain choices of language features and images
Selection and use of ideas, information and details for different purposes, including to support a point of view and explain choices of language features and images
Use of ideas and information for different purposes, including to support a point of view and describe choices of language features and images
Use of ideas and information, including to state an opinion
Considered use of text structures for different purposes and audiences, including making presentations
Effective use of text structures for different purposes and audiences, including making presentations
Use of text structures for different purposes and audiences, including making presentations
Use of aspects of text structures for different purposes, including making presentations
Discriminating use of a variety of language features and patterns for particular purposes and effects, including emphasis. Language features include:
• grammatical structures
• considered vocabulary choices
• spoken/signed features 1
• non-verbal features 2
• visual features 3
Effective use of a variety of language features and patterns for particular purposes and effects, including emphasis.
Language features include:
• grammatical structures
• considered vocabulary choices
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
Use of a variety of language features and patterns for particular purposes and effects, including emphasis.
Language features include:
• grammatical structures
• considered vocabulary choices
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
Use of language features that vary in suitability, for example:
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
Use of aspects of text structures, including to make a presentation
Use of language features that impede meaning, for example:
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
1
For example: pronunciation; pace, phrasing and pausing; audibility and clarity
2 For example: facial expressions, gestures, proximity, stance, movement
3 For example: graphics, still and moving images
Year 6 standard elaborations
— Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 3 of 6

Considered use of editing strategies to improve clarity, including:
• accurate spelling
• punctuation
• selection of language features
Effective use of editing strategies to improve clarity, including:
• accurate spelling
• punctuation
• selection of language features
Use of editing strategies to improve clarity, including:
• accurate spelling
• punctuation
• selection of language features
Use of editing strategies that vary in suitability, for example:
• spelling
• punctuation
• selection of language features
Use of textual features that impede meaning, for example:
• spelling
• punctuation
• selection of language features
Note: Colour highlights have been used in the table to emphasise the qualities that discriminate between the standards.
Year 6 standard elaborations
— Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Page 4 of 6
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014

The SEs describe the qualities of achievement in the two dimensions common to all Australian
Curriculum learning area achievement standards:

understanding

skills.
Dimension *
Understanding*
Description
The concepts underpinning and connecting knowledge in a learning area, related to a student’s ability to appropriately select and apply knowledge to solve problems in that learning area
The specific techniques, strategies and processes in a learning area Skills*
The following terms and key words are used in the Year 6 English SEs. They help to clarify the descriptors and should be used in conjunction with the ACARA Australian Curriculum English glossary: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/Glossary
Term
Analysis; Analyse*
Description
Consider in detail for the purpose of finding meaning or relationships, and identifying patterns, similarities and differences
Particular parts or features Aspects
Considered;
Consideration*
Thought about deliberately with a purpose
Description; Descriptive;
Describe*
Effective
Give an account of characteristics or features
Identification; Identify*
Implied meaning
Capably meets the described requirements
Evidence In an English context: ideas or information obtained from texts that are used by students to achieve the purposes of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts
Explanation; Explanatory;
Explain*
Provide additional information that demonstrates understanding of reasoning and/or application
Establish or indicate who or what someone or something is
Suggested but not directly expressed. The following information is provided to support working with ‘implied meaning’.
Information and ideas in texts may be:
• interpreted to identify relationships among ideas, information, facts and values. These relationships include comparisons, and cause and effect
• combined with prior experience to extrapolate on what is in the text
• analysed to judge the logic of the text to, for example, identify particular points of view represented or fallacies inherent in the text
• evaluated to make judgments using criteria
• synthesised with literal meaning and other types of implied meaning to respond to an idea or thesis with creative thinking
* The asterisk (*) denotes dimensions and terms described by ACARA. Unmarked terms are described by QCAA.
Year 6 standard elaborations
— Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Page 5 of 6
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014

Literal meaning
Restatement; Restate
Selection; Select*
Statement; State
Synthesis: Synthesise*
Text*
Use of
Variety
Taking words in their exact or most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration. The following information is provided to support working with ‘literal meaning’.
Information and ideas in texts may be:
• recognised or recalled
• translated or changed into a different form by, for example, paraphrasing or restating
Repeat known information
Choose in preference to another or others
A sentence or assertion
Combine elements (information/ideas/components) into a coherent whole
The means for communication. Their forms and conventions have developed to help us communicate effectively with a variety of audiences for a range of purposes. Texts can be written, spoken or multimodal and in print or digital/online forms.
Information about spoken texts in the Year 6 Australian Curriculum:
English achievement standard makes clear that students should have opportunities to:
• listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others’ ideas
• contribute actively to class and group discussions
To operate or put into effect
A number of different things
Year 6 standard elaborations
— Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Page 6 of 6
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014